WWE Reportedly Targeting The John Cena Classic For The Latter Part Of 2026

The John Cena Classic could reportedly take place at the end of the year.

At Backlash, John Cena announced the ‘John Cena Classic’, with the star indicating his desire to hold an event that sees main roster stars clash with NXT’s best after the success of his retirement show. However, fane were came out of the segment unsure on the format, especially given the 17-time world champion didn’t announce when or where it would take place. Now, it seems WWE are aiming to hold the John Cena Classic towards the end of this year.

According to an update from PWInsider Elite, it’s believed WWE are aiming to hold the John Cena Classic in the latter part of 2026.

“WWE held a Town Hall for employees today and while discussing different aspects of plans for the company, mentioned the announced John Cena Classic. It was noted that the event is being currently targeted for the latter part of the year. One person we spoke to mentioned “the end of the year.””

-PWInsider Elite

Questions still remain over who fans can expect to see in this initial lineup of the classic. With Saturday Night’s Main Event last December featuring NXT stars like Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, and Sol Ruca who are all now on the main roster, it’s possible the company use the event to indicate who they see as the future. However, perhaps the biggest aspect of the John Cena Classic is that fans will be able to vote on who is crowned the overall champion regardless of who wins and loses their matches.

Not long after the Backlash announcement, it was revealed that WWE themselves aren’t yet sure on how the John Cena Classic will work. You can read more about that here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on the John Cena Classic as soon as we hear more.